Salal: A Tradition of Berry Baskets

April

Opening Reception: First Thursday April 6th, 6-8pm. This exhibit runs from April 6th-30th.

The Northwest boasts over thirty edible berries in its ecosystem, so it follows that indigenous peoples have made berry-picking a central seasonal activity for millennia. April is the first blush and bud of the salmonberries and Indian plum, and marks the time when the tribes make preparations for gathering.

Berry baskets are small baskets woven from spruce root or cedar bark, often with a loose or open weave. Their technique and materials differ from area to area, but are ubiquitous along the entire Northwest Coast and Alaska. We are pleased to present an exhibition of berry baskets in glass by Preston Singletary (Tlingit), and traditional woven berry baskets by artists including Isabel Rorick (Haida), Lisa Telford (Haida), and Deborah Head (Tlingit). Plus, you can’t go berry picking without a hat, and this featured traditional Haida hat by Paul LaPier (Haida/Tlingit) is what every picker needs.